At long last the plague of the live music industry is being dealt with. Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed a new law that makes the resale of tickets obtained using ticket bots illegal in New York. For years we have seen companies use automated bots to buy up large numbers of concert tickets and then sell them through websites like StubHub with a significant mark up. Running ticket bots is now considered a misdemeanor and can carry a fine of up to $1,000 as well as one year in jail.

“These unscrupulous speculators and their underhanded tactics have manipulated the marketplace and often leave New Yorkers and visitors alike with little choice but to buy tickets on the secondary market at an exorbitant mark-up. It’s predatory, it’s wrong and, with this legislation, we are taking an important step towards restoring fairness and equity back to this multi-billion dollar industry," said Governor Andrew Cuomo.